Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1887-04-16
ANNUAL MEETING
OF THE CALIFORNIA FHUIT.
GROWERS ASSOCIATION.
Address of the President-TheF ru {.
Union riticised-Generaf Dis
Observation-Disclosures Elected,

cuSS10n-DircctOfS Elected.
The first annual meeting of the Califor-
MIA Fruit Growers Association was held at
Changers Hall yesterday afternoon, the
President, r. D. Stephens, presiding, and
w. s. Leake, Secretary. There was a good
number of growers and shippers present,
and a deep interest was manifested
throughout After the reading of the min
utes of the last meeting, a financial state
ment of the year was submitted, which
gave the receipts and expenditures in de-
meeting the warm appreciation of the
members. Mr.. Stephens then addressed
the Association, as follows:
ADDRESS OF THE PRESIDENT
Gentlemen: You have been called to-
gether for the purpose of giving you an
opportunity of expressing your feelings
and opinions as to what you believe is the
best thing to do to create, both here and in
the East, the best markets possible foryour
products The meeting of stockholders of
the California Fruit-Growers' Association
was postponed until this time for the fol-
lowing reasons, the first of which was that
assurances of the most positive character
were given by several of the leading men,
bers of the California Fruit Union that the
stockholders of that corporation would at
their next annual meeting amend and
modify the bylaws of the Union in such a
manner that the Board of Trustees could
and would adopt system through and by
which the fruit products of California
would bedisposed of in way that would be
entirely satisfactory to ali parties; that all
they wanted was an opportunity of proving
that they possessed the ability to accom-
plish this in the interest of tie growers,
and that if they were given fair trial, and
permitted to 90 on without meeting with
any formidable opposition until after the
annual meeting of stockholders of the
Union, at which new Board of Trustees
would be elected, and the new Board given
time to formulate and promugate the plan
which would surely be adopted by il. then
all growers would feel satisfied, and would
give it hearty support.
The second reason was that, by postpon-
ing our meeting until the present time, the
danger period for frosts being past, at least
so far as tree fruit is concerned, and grapes
being in but little if any danger of injury.
very fair and probably close estimates of
this season fruit crop could be made and
better idea formed of what was best to be
done to successfully market it.
CALIFORNIA FRUIT UNION NOTICED.
In order that we may have a better un-
derstanding of the situation as it at present
exists, it may be well to take into consider
alton the action taken at the annual meet
ing of the stockholders of the Fruit Union.
and also what has been done by the Board
OF Trustees elected at that meeting. Now
let US investigate and see what was done
at the annual meeting of stockholders of
the Fruit Union, and it will be seen that
everything binding and holding the Trus-
tees to any specific or pronounced policy
or rule was stricken out of the bylaws.
Nothing was permitted to remain that
would IN the least degree interfere with
the will of majority of the Board of Trus-
tees, therefore the natural sequences are
that majority of the Board of Trustees
will have full power and absolute control
OF all fruit placed in their hands; they can
send 1t to tnis or that place and to whom
they wish. In fact their authority cannot
be successfully disputed as to their right to
do as they please with your fruit after it is
once in their hands. They can put it into
this or that place, send it to this or that
market, place it in the hands of any one
whom they please, to handle, and should
you object to any of these things, your ob-
Jectlons will amount to nothing: for the
action will be law, and themselves Judges
TO pass upon it, and from whose decision
there will be no appeal
VIEW AS TO THE UNIONS SUCCESS.
Il may be that we could not employ a
portion OF our time to a better advantage
than TO devote few minutes to inyesti-
gazing what reason and common sense
teaches us will be the result, in the event
the Union succeeds as a corporation. the
only way it can possibly succeed-which
means that one man is TO control the fruit
products of California. 1t is true that TO
accomplish this the interests of a few
others-aot necessarily exceeding five in
humoer-wlll have to be taken into con-
slderatlon and promoted.
In saying this | do not wish TO be under.
stood to say, implicitly or otherwise that
there are any members of the Fruit
Union dishonest, or actuated through anv
impure motives. 1t is regarded no crime
or wrong-dolng Tor persons to accumulate
property and wealth, so long as they man.
lest proper respect for the rules and law
which now prevail, and are generally ac-
cepted to be just and correct. If throush
any combination of circumstances, an op-
portunlty Is offered a man to gain riches,
ana IN dong so he takes no action that will
hold nm amenable to either the civil or
criminal law, and he does not improve The
opportunity, while he may be called a
good, honest fellow, yet he is looked upon
by the business world as a man totally
VOID OF all requisites and qualifications of
business man. Once upon time some
body wrote something which reads as fol-
lows:
Vice is a monster of such hideous mieu.
As to be hated needs but to be seen
But seen too oft, familiar with her face.
We first endure, then pity, them embrace
To illustrate, l will ask you few cues
tons, and, in doing so, wish it understood
that am addressing them to each one of
you, separately and personally
"TUT YOURSELF IN HIS PLACE"
For example, suppose you had sixty
carloads OF Bartlett pears, forty of peaches.
twenty OF crosse prunes, fay of plums.
thirty OF apricots, and other varieties of
fruit in proportion, and you possessed un-
disputed authority TO control the DISPOSE
ton of the fruit products of California. to
that degree, and so far as selecting the
cities in which each particular box or lot
IS to be sent, and you had the right to name
the man for each of the places so selected
10 act as your agent or salesman, and | will
ask wheeler or not you could, under such
circumstances. make such arrangements as
would result IN placing your fruit in the
most favorable markets and to the best
possible advantage; or, in other words,
would you not have it in your power to
find market for your individual products
though Others We're sacrificed?
Ii your answers are that Won believe vou
could, with such power in your hands. moi
only protect, but could greatly promote
your personal interests, the question is
Would you do it? In answering this cues
ton, remember it is said that the first Law
OF nature is self-preservation, and assume
that the answer You give is the same as
that OF all others, and the chances are that
you VIII come very near Judging what
others would do under such circumstance
REDUCTION OF TRANSPORTATION RATE
1t is the opinion of many that there has
never been an honest and earnest et5ort
made, through the powers that were and
thst still exist, in the Fruit Union. 10 secure
10 the growers a reduction in rates of trans
pertation East on fast time and it seems
that, 10 degree at least, this opinion is lust
lAed, for il is known that some of the mos.
prominent mem bers of the Mon have de-
elared that in their judgment the greatest
calamity that co1ld possibly befall the fruit
interests of California wouldoe reduction
IN rates of transportation East on passen-
ger time, te $40 per car, or less,
unseSs the fruit is concentrated and placed
No shr~N il